I Will Never Leave You
by Celebwen-76
Summary: Aragorn leaves Mirkwood on a journey home with Legolas, but disappears into thin air after an illfated orc attack. The prince must find him before it's too late. By the way, I'm sorry about the missing equal signs, lol.


Disclaimer: They certainly aren't mine, or they'd have drowned long ago in my drool.

A/N: Thanks to Jo-Jo for editing!

A/N2: I take the view that Aragorn was raised as Elrond's foster son, and therefore Elladan and Elrohir's foster brothers.

A/N3: In case you don't know, Estel is Aragorn.

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I Will Never Leave You

Aragorn sighed as he sat down, weary from the long day of battle. Days such as these had been increasing in number as of late; fighting orc after orc, until you wonder how many of the spawn could possibly be left. He was accompanying a contingent of Mirkwood elves, who were trying to clear out the borders of their forest. During normal circumstances, he wouldn't have done so, but he had recently returned from traveling with the rangers, and had met up with the Mirkwood elves. He stayed now only for his closest friend, Legolas, whom he had missed greatly.

He turned his silver gaze up to the threatening sky, and suddenly felt a sharp pang of homesickness. He had not returned to Rivendell in six years, and the time was wearing heavily on him. 'Yes,' he thought. It was time to return home. He decided he would speak with Legolas tonight, and then depart in the morning, without the knowing of the other Mirkwood elves. He found that goodbyes were easier if left unsaid, and he knew he wouldn't be lonely, for his mellon was sure to come with him.

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Estel and Legolas left early, before any others awoke. Legolas had told only the captain of the troop that he was leaving, which made it far easier on the prince. The two traveled quite uneventfully on horseback for several leisurely days until they were but a day or so from Rivendell. It was midday, and they were riding beside a large river, conversing merrily, when Legolas suddenly held up his hand in a gesture of silence, his elven ears hearing the danger far sooner than the human's. With no warning, other than the sudden sound of heavy feet crashing through the forest, a small band of orcs burst through the foliage and attacked the two beings.

Legolas drew his bow immediately, and heard the soft singing of Aragorn's blade as it was unsheathed. There was no time for thoughts or questions as the two instantly began fiercely battling the orcs. Legolas managed to cut down their numbers with his bow before the orcs were in close enough range to use their own weapons.

Aragorn decapitated the first foul being that reached them, and barely saw Legolas quickly unsheathing his twin pearl-handled knives, which were better suited for close combat. The two blocked and parried, thrust and stabbed, until only a very few orcs remained. Neither of them had sustained any serious injuries so far. Suddenly, an ill-fated blow was aimed at Aragorn. He managed to dodge it, but the thrust unbalanced him, causing him to tumble off his horse and slam his head against a rock. He rolled off the riverbank, and his unconscious body was swept up in the fierce stream.

Legolas was too preoccupied with a particularly large orc to notice that his chosen brother had fallen. After dispatching the loathsome creature, the elf prince quickly slew the two remaining orcs and glanced around for the human. Breathing heavily, he wiped a cut on the back of his hand against his tunic, and looked around, horror filling his eyes at the thought of finding the ranger lying dead somewhere. Then he noticed traces of something falling down the rocky bank into the river. Something large…and heavy. Aragorn. Biting his lip and repressing the increasing feeling of panic, Legolas looked over the edge, but found no one.

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Aragorn floated between wakefulness and unconsciousness. His body drifted through the water slowly, and in one of his more painful and aware moments, words of a song often sung by his father when he was young came unbidden to his mind:

"A time may come when hope has failed,

And you will be alone.

But just remember then, my son,

The place that you call home.

Remember me, remember me,

In the lonely darkness!

You will be pacified because,

I will never leave you."

The song was followed by images from his past: Elrond at his desk, pouring over an important-looking scroll; Elladan and Elrohir helping him climb his first tree; his father once more, mending a large cut on an unknown ranger's arm; flashes of other elves he had known. Pictures of his home in Rivendell came next, and caused his lips to twitch into a small smile before complete and total unconsciousness took hold. He eventually came to a stop, hidden underneath the thick foliage of the far side of the river, out of sight from all passersby.

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Legolas raced along the riverbank, his icy blue eyes ceaselessly searching the river for any sign of the human. The two horses trailed idly behind. Night had long since fallen, and the stars were shining brightly alongside a crescent moon, and Legolas still had not glimpsed his human friend. Sighing, he slumped to the ground, his head in his hands. He had failed. He just couldn't find him.

A soft nose gently nudged his head, and Legolas looked up at his horse. It nudged him once more as if to say, "Come on! Get up!" Legolas sighed once more and stood up slowly, rubbing his horse's head ruefully. This time, it was Aragorn's horse that bumped him gently. Legolas smiled as the wave of hopelessness was swept back, and he resolutely began searching the riverbank once more.

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Aragorn came hurtling back to consciousness when the sharp pain in his head became unbearable. He opened bleary silver eyes and moaned. In a world composed of pain, he tried to remember where he was and what had happened. He felt wet sand underneath him, and saw dark green leaves above him. The sun was on the horizon, though whether it was dawn or dusk, he had no clue.

Moving gingerly, Aragorn touched the back of his head, and everything suddenly rushed back into his mind. A battle. Legolas. A river. He hit his head on a stone. He groaned once more. Yes, that last bit had definitely happened. Removing his fingers, he saw the blood that covered them. He slowly attempted to rise, stirring dirt and dust as he did so, but the effort proved too much, and he was plunged back into oblivion.

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Legolas sighed yet again. Where was that human? The sun had risen recently, and the elf was once more giving up hope. He had traveled up and down the riverbank, and had finally come to rest a few hundred yards from where he had begun his search. He sat down heavily, the horses behind him, munching complacently on grass. The prince looked blankly towards a leafy tree on the other side of the river. It took him a moment before he realized what he saw. He quirked an eyebrow up as he saw some dust settling over an area across the river. Could it really be that simple? Could he have missed something so obvious? He quickly stood up and waded across the river.

The elven prince smiled in relief when he saw a familiar boot sticking out from underneath the foliage. However, he knew that the danger was far from over. He quickly placed his fingers over the man's wrist and was relieved to find a steady pulse there. He saw the wound on the ranger's head and sighed. This was going to take some work.

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Aragorn awoke to the sound of a crackling fire. He touched his fingertips to his head and felt the bandages.

"Ah, so you're finally awake, mellon nin," Legolas said to him.

Aragorn looked at the elf and smiled ruefully as the last half of the song his father would sing came to his mind.

"People come and people go,

Who will you stand by?

Is there one on whom you know,

You can always rely?

Rely on me, rely on me!

When your strength has faded,

You can always rely on me,

For I will never leave you."

Yes, he could always depend on his gwador. Legolas' chuckle brought Estel out of his reverie.

"What are you so happy about, Strider?" he asked, grinning.

Aragorn smiled in return, and said merely, "Memories, gwador nin. Memories."

Finis

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Translations:

Gwador Brother of the heart

Mellon friend

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Please let me know what you thought, and check out my other stories. )

-Cel


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